Machine for spreading halved fruit on drying trays



July 29, 1958 D. w. MATTos 2,

MACHINE FOR SPREADING' HALVED FRUIT ON DRYING TRAYS Filed April 15, 19562 Sheets-Sheet 1 DA V/D W MATTOS A T TOPNEYS July 29, 1958 D. w. MATTOS2,844,

MACHINE FOR SPREADING HALVED FRUIT ON DRYING TRAYS Filed April 13, 19562 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DA V/D W MATTOS United States Patent MACHINEFOR SPREADING HALVED FRUIT 0N DRYING TRAYS David W. Mattos, San Jose,Calif.

Application April 13, 1956, Serial No. 578,128

7 Claims. (Cl. 53-160) The present invention relates to mechanism forfeeding halved apricots into drying trays, and pertains moreparticularly to a device for retaining the apricots in the cup-side-upcondition in which they come from the shaker mechanism. 7

In drying apricots, after they have been halved and pitted, they usuallyare passed through a troughed shaker mechanism, wherein the troughs areagitated longitudinally of the direction of apricot travel through thetrough. This tends to erect the apricot halves with their cupped sidesupwardly. The apricots then are transferred down a sloping apron, whichusually is connected to the shaker tray for movement therewith, into thedrying trays which are carried along on a suitable conveyor.

Although the erecting mechanism is almost 100% suc-' cessful, inpositioning the apricots cup side up as they leave the shaker,nevertheless during their travel down the apron and into the trays asubstantial number of the apricots become inverted with their cup sidesdown. It is necessary, in order for the apricots to dry properly, thatall of these inverted apricots be restored to their proper cup-side-upcondition, and this is customarily done manually. It is difficult todo'this'in a tray that is properly filled with apricot halves, since inattempting to right one inverted apricot the girl must be careful not toinvert some of the adjacent apricots.

Furthermore, in mechanisms wherein the transfer apron is connected tothe shaker tray for longitudinal back and forth movement therewith, thelower end of the transfer apron frequently strikes a knot, broken boardor nail in the bottom of a tray therebeneath, with the result that theedge of the apron and sometimes the tray becomes damaged hereby.

The present invention contemplates the prevention of inversion of theapricots as they move down the transfer apron from the shaker troughsinto the drying tray.

The invention also providesan improved arrangement for preventing thereciprocating transfer apron from snagging projections on the trays.

The invention also provides an arrangement for feeding ;the apricotscup-side-up onto the drying trays in closely adjacent relation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawings, consistingof two sheets, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of theinvention showing the discharge end ofthe shaker trough with the supportplate, transfer apron and guide plate mounted thereover, portions beingbroken away. 1

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the portions of themechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 with the reciprocating troughed shakerand attached transfer apron in their forward positions, I

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the portions of the mechanismillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the transfer apron lice Briefly, thepresent invention is illustrated herein as.

being mounted on a conventional apricot erecting and tray fillingmachine A, which receives halved and pitted fruit, which is hereinreferred to as apricot halves 10, erects the halved fruit to cup-side-upcondition, and spreads the fruit in a single layer over the bottoms ofdrying trays 11. The trays are fed through the machine on conventionalconveyor chains 12 which engage the bottoms of the trays and slidablyadvance them lengthwise of. the machine along a pair of parallel angleiron tracks 13.

Principal features of the invention reside in the provision of a supportplate B underlying the usual reciprocating transfer apron C of themachine to prevent damage by the apron, and a guide plate D to preventinversion of the apricots and to control their feed rate onto the dryingtrays as they pass downwardly along the transfer apron.

The apricot erecting shaker 14 of the machine A consists of a rearwardlydownwardly inclined frame 15 having a plurality of longitudinallyextending, parallel troughs 17 thereon. Each trough 17 is ofsubstantially semi-circular cross sectional shape, and is of a size toreceive therein the largest size of apricot to be advanced.

therethrough. The shaker 14 is suspended on usual parallel support links18 and reciprocated longitudinally.

back and forth in rapidly recurring short strokes which causes theapricots to roll to cup-side-up condition.

As the apricots reach the lower ends of the troughs 17 I of the transferapron C is free to gravitate downwardly,

and is of a width to fit between the side walls 20 of the drying trays11, as they are advanced in end-to-end contacting relation through themachine on the conveyor chains 12.

To prevent the lower end of the rapidly reciprocating transfer apron Cfrom riding directly upon the bottoms 21 of the trays 11 passingtherebeneath, which might result in damage to the trays and to theapron, the nonreciprocating support plate B is hingedly connected at 23to a stationary frame member 24. 'The lower end 25 of the support plateB is curved to ride tangentially along the bottoms 21 of the dryingtrays as they are conveyed along therebeneath. The trailing edge 27 ofthe support plateB when riding on the tray bottoms 21 is slidably aheadof the trailing edge 28 of the reciprocating transfer apron C when thelatter is at the terminal end of its rearward stroke cycle as shown inFig. 3.

On each forward stroke of the troughed shaker 14, the transfer apron Cconnected thereto is drawn slidably forward along this support plate tothe position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The hinged mounting of the supportplate B permits it to ride up over abutting tray end mem'-' bers 29 and30 as the latter pass beneath the support apron C, and prevents theapricots from becoming in vertedduring such transfer period. The upperguide plate D is an assembly. consisting of 'a plurality of parallel,co-planar strips 32 of sheet metal. The strips- 3 p 32 are connected attheir upper ends by a metal hinge strip 33, which in turn is journaledon a rod 34 extending between the upper ends of the stationary framemembers 24. The strips 32 also are interconnected adjacent their lowerends by a rigid, inverted, channel member 38.

The lower ends of the strips 32 are subjected to adjustable downwardspring bias by a pair of coil springs 40, each of which is connected intension between an extension arm 41 secured onto the channel member 38,and an eye bolt 42 passing through a hole provided therefor in a fixedframe member 43. A wing nut 44 threadedly mounted on each eye bolt 42permits axial adjustment of the eye bolt, and thereby controls thetension of the springs 40.

The forward or upper ends 32a of the guide strips 32 are spaced upwardlyfrom the transfer apron C by a distance somewhat greater than the heightof the cupped apricots, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, but less than thediameter of the minimum sizeapricot to be processed. Therefore, althoughat their upper ends the guide strips 32 do not interfere with theprogress of the halved apricots downwardly across the transfer apron,they do prevent the apricots from becoming inverted during suchprogress.

The downward bias of the spring 40 on the lower ends of the guide plateD causes it to act as a sort of valve, which prevents individual orsparsely arranged apricots from being fed rearwardly onto the dryingtrays, and holds the apricots until there are several rows of them alongthe lower end of the transfer apron C before they will pass through thespace between the transfer apron and the guide plate. This insures thatthe trays will be well filled and with minimum open spaces.

Regulation of the tension on the spring 40 is used to control the easewith which the fruit passes between the lower ends of the apron C andthe guide plate D. Increase in spring tension makes it more diflicultfor the fruit to feed through.

The rate of progress of the trays 11 through the machine is controlledby an attendant to correspond to the feed rate of the apricots frombeneath the guide plate D onto the trays.

A control switch 45 is provided for automatically stopping reciprocationof the erecting shaker 14 and the transfer apron C connected thereto asthe abutting end members 29 and 30 (Figs. 3 and 4) of adjoining trayspass therebeneath. The illustrated switch 45 is a conventional, normallyclosed, microswitch and is mounted on an arm 47 secured to extendhorizontally from the stationary upright frame member 24. A switchactuating block 48 is mounted on a side of the transfer apron C in aposition to engage the switch actuating arm 49 upon a predeterminedupward swinging movement of the transfer apron.

As the trailing end member 30 of each tray 11 engages thenon-oscillating but pivotally mounted support plate B (Fig. 3), thelatter is swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, carrying thetransfer apron C and the guide plate D with it. This elevates the switchactuating block 48 into engagement with the switch arm 49, opening thenormally closed switch 45, and thereby arresting longitudinalreciprocation of the shaker 14 and the transfer apron C connectedthereto until the abutting tray end members 29 and 30 pass beyond therear-ends of the support plate B, thereby allowing the support platewith the transfer apron C and guide plate D thereon to drop back to theposition shown in Fig. 3. This restores the switch 45 to its normallyclosed condition and thereby causes the shaker 14 and connected transferapron C to resume their reciprocating movement.

The operation of the mechanism described herein is as follows: v

The halved and pitted apricots are fed in a conventional manner intothe. erecting troughs 17 of the conventional longitudinallyreciprocating shaker 14.

Here the apricots are erected to cup-side-up condition and are advancedrearwardly along the troughs 17 in a usual manner.

As they arrive at the rearward or discharge end of the erecting troughs17 in cup-side-up condition they pass beneath the upper end of thepivotally mounted guide plate D and onto the reciprocating downwardlyand rearwardly sloping transfer apron C.

The drying trays 11 are conveyed along the tracks 13 by the conveyorchains 12, the curved rear end of the pivotally mounted support plate Briding on the bottoms of the trays 11 and supporting the rear end of theapron free from contact with the trays. The guide plate D preventsinversion of the apricots as they travel down the apron C, and the lowerportion of the gmide plate rides on the top or cut faces of the apricots10 which are lubricated by the fruit juices present on these cut faceswhich facilitates their passage therebeneath.

The convergence of the lower ends of the guide plate D with the transferapron C tends to restrain the discharge of apricots therebetwcen ontothe trays 11. When only a few apricots are present between the guideplate D and the apron C they will not be discharged onto the trays, butwill be retained until the space transversely of the lower end of theplates is well filled with apricot halves and they are backed upslightly along the apron, whereupon the action of the reciprocatingtransfer apron C on the lower sides of the apricot halves will cause aseparation of the guide plate D from the transfer apron C allowing theapricots to be discharged onto the tray.

Since the support plate B extends to the full rearward limit of thetransfer apron C in its rearmost position, it is impossible for thelower end of the transfer apron to be driven against any projectionwhich may be present on the bottoms of the trays, or against the end ofa tray when the support plate B with the transfer apron C and guideplate D thereon are dropped adjacent the end of a tray with the trays inarrested condition.

The invention provides a simple, and in effect selftending, mechanismfor guiding the halved apricots in cup-side-up condition and in closelyjuxtaposed relation onto the drying trays. The reciprocally driventransfer plate C is protected by the lower support plate B againstdamage to the traysor to itself.

The reciprocation of the shaker 14 and the transfer apron C connectedthereto is halted automatically as the end members of adjoining trayspass beneath the support plate B, and is automatically resumed when thetray ends have passed beyond the support plate so as to permit immediateresumption of feeding of the apricots into the trays.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred ernbodiment'of thepresent invention, it will be understood however, that various changesand modifications may be made in the details thereof without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

1. Mechanism for transferring halved, pitted fruit cupsrde up from thedischarge end of a fore-and-aft reclprocatmg troughed shaker to dryingtrays mounted to pass in end to end abutting alignment therebeneath,said mechanism comprising a transfer apron hingedly connected to therear or discharge end of. the shaker for movement therewith and slopingdownwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a non-reciprocating apron supportplate hingedly mounted on a stationary member beneath the hingedconnection of the apron to the shaker and extending substantially thefull width of the transfer apron therebeneath, the support plate slopingdownwardly and rearwardly and underlying the rear end ,of the transferapron in its rearmost reciprocating position, and a guide platehingedly-mounted on a stationary member above the hinged connection ofthe apron to the shaker and spaced therefrom by a distance greater thanthe radius of the largest fruit halves to be processed through themachine, and means biasing the lower end of the guide plate toward thetransfer apron whereby the lower end portion of the transfer apron isurged into contact with the upper cut faces of halved fruit passing downthe transfer apron to prevent inversion of the fruit and to resist thepassage of single or sparsely scattered fruit on the transfer apronbetween the rear ends of the transfer apron and the guide plate.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the guide plate comprisesa plurality of sheet metal strips arranged in co-planar, side-by-siderelation and are connected to each other by a stiff cross memberextending transversely thereof near their terminal ends.

3. Mechanism for transferring halved, pitted fruit cupside up from thedischarge end of a fore-and-aft reciprocating troughed shaker to thefloors of trays mounted to pass in end to end abutting alignmenttherebeneath, said mechanism comprising a transfer apron hingedlyconnected to the rear or discharge end of the shaker for movementtherewith and sloping downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and a smooth,rigid, non-reciprocating, downwardly and rearwardly sloping guide platehingedly mounted above the hinged connection of the apron to the shakerand spaced therefrom at its forward end by a distance greater than theradius of the largest fruit halves to be processed through the machine,the rear end of the guide plate terminating above the rear end of thetransfer apron, whereby the rear portion of the transfer apron contactsthe upper cut faces of fruit halves passing between the guide plate andthe transfer apron to prevent inversion of the fruit and to resist thepassage of single or sparsely scattered fruit on the transfer apron frombetween the rear ends of the transfer apron and the guide plate.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein control means is providedfor arresting movement of the shaker upon elevation of the rear end ofthe transfer apron.

5. In combination with a machine for erecting halved, pitted fruitcup-side-up and spreading it in a layer over a drying tray, wherein amultiple-troughed erecting member is mounted over a conveyor for dryingtrays, drive means are connected to the erecting member to reciprocateit longitudinally of the troughs therein, and a transfer apron ishingedly connected to the terminal end of the troughed erecting memberfor transferring erected fruit leaving the erecting member to a dryingtray therebeneath; a guide plate hingedly mounted on a fixed axis at aheight above the hinged connection of the apron to the erecting memberto pass erected fruit between the guide plate and the apron, the guideplate overlying the apron with its free end resting on the cut faces ofthe halved fruit passing between the guide plate and the apron, and anon-reciprocating apron support plate closely underlying the rear end ofthe transfer apron throughout its zone of reciprocation, and free forvertical movement therewith.

6. In combination with a machine for erecting halved, pitted fruitcup-side-up and spreading it in a layer over a drying tray, wherein amultiple troughed erecting member is mounted over a rearwardly movingconveyor for drying trays, drive means are connected to the erectingmember to reciprocate it longitudinally of the troughs therein, and atransfer apron is hingedly connected to the terminal end of the troughederecting member and slopes rearwardly therefrom in the direction ofconveyor movement for transferring erected fruit leaving the erectingmember to a drying tray therebeneath; a support plate hingedly mountedon a fixed axis beneath the hinged connection of the apron to theerecting member and extending downwardly and reawardly therefrom, andterminating substantially in' line with the rear end of the apron, aguide plate hingedly mounted on a fixed axis abovethe hinged connectionof the apron to the erecting member and sloping downwardly andrearwardly therefrom at a height to pass erected fruit between the guideplate and the apron, whereby the free end of the guide plate rests onthe cut faces of halved, erected fruit passing between the guide plateand the apron.

7. In combination with a machine for erecting halved, pitted fruitcup-side-up and spreading it in a layer over a drying tray, wherein amultiple troughed erecting member is mounted over a rearwardly movingconveyor for drying trays, drive means are connected to the erectingmember to reciprocate it longitudinally of the troughs therein, and atransfer apron is hingedly connected to the terminal end of the troughederecting member and slopes downwardly and rearwardly therefrom in thedirection of conveyor movement for transferring erected fruit leavingthe erecting member to a drying tray therebeneath; a support platehingedly mounted on a fixed axis beneath the hinged connection of theapron to the erecting member and extending downwardly and rearwardlytherefrom and terminating substantially in line with, and beneath, therear end of the apron in its rearward limit of reciprocating movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS952,352 Pieper Mar. 15, 1910 1,278,291 Balwick Sept. 10, 1918 1,886,295Morris Nov. 1, 1932 2,767,536 Forkel Oct. 23, 1956

